"...given the turbulent times we live in, the need for a deeper sense of connection and meaningful growth and change in society has never been greater."
So sayeth the organisers of the Mind Body Spirit Festival starting tomorrow and running through to the end of the Bank Holiday weekend. The organisers of this annual festival have brought to the public all that you need to know about healing, meditation, yoga and all forms of holistic living through exhibitors, workshops, talks and demonstrations. The festival aims to challenge the way we think about our health and our happiness and how the two are linked together. It's New Age, it's alternative, it's a bunch of tree-hugging hippies... and it's still going strong after 30 years.
Graham Wilson, the original organiser put together the first Festival For Mind and Body in 1977 and time has proven that wellbeing doesn't go out of fashion: Holland and Barratt, Body Shop and Neal's Yard Apothecary were among the first to take part back in the 1970s and have become well-known and well-loved brands today. They will no doubt be part of this year's festival and other confirmed talks, demonstrators and workshops include The Barefoot Doctor leading a talk on Taoist healing, Diana Cooper with a workshop on Atlantis and the Angels of Atlantis and also Georgia Foster who will give demonstrations on weight loss through hypnotherapy.
If you're thinking of turning up "just for a laugh" then you're welcome to do that too: the first National Laugh-a-thon will take place as part of the festival on Sunday 28th. All the money raised through all this healthy cardio-vascular exercise will be donated to the British Heart Foundation.
The 30th Mind Body Spirit Festival starts tomorrow and continues until Monday 29th May at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Victoria. For more information and to book tickets, go to the festival website here. The picture shows an example of inversion therapy at work.
